Little did Vice President Jejomar “Jojo” Binay realize that Sen. Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV would accept his challenge to debate. And when Trillanes accepted it, Binay must have panicked and backed out of the debate.

It’s important to note that Binay challenged Trillanes to a debate to bring his case to the people and answer questions about his alleged corruption activities and ill-gotten wealth when he was mayor of Makati City. Obviously, it was a bluff. Binay, a lawyer, was probably thinking that Trillanes, a former naval officer, didn’t stand a ghost of a chance of defeating him in a debate, which is a lawyer’s forte. But Trillanes had one weapon – truth — that he could use to force Binay to a corner and beat him to a pulp.

When Binay backed out of the debate, Trillanes found an opening for an attack. A few days later, Trillanes went on the offensive hitting Binay where it hurts most – his character. He dropped a bombshell by saying that Binay was part of the 2007 conspiracy to oust then-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Trillanes was referring to the time when his rebel group, Magdalo, occupied the Peninsula Manila Hotel in Makati City and demanded Gloria to step down.

Oakwood mutiny

Trillanes claimed that Binay – who was then mayor of Makati City — reneged on his promise to mobilize his employees, the city’s urban poor, and other supporters to join Trillanes when he walks out of a court hearing that was trying him for the 2003 Oakwood mutiny. But to Trillanes’ surprise, Binay’s supporters did not show up and Binay was nowhere to be found. The rebels then barricaded themselves in the hotel but surrendered when the military was called in.

Later on when Trillanes was detained at Camp Crame, Binay showed up and apologized. Well, apology or no apology, the harm was done. But what was instilled in Trillanes’ mind was that Binay’s decision to back out of the debate says a lot about his character. “In a way, we were expecting this to happen because on those instances, we say that Vice President Binay had no word of honor and that he cannot be trusted. I hope that our people could see his true character” (translated from Tagalog), Trillanes said.

A question of character

Having refused to appear before the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee hearings — which he described as a “kangaroo court” — and backed out of the debate, Binay is going around the country, at taxpayers’ expense, telling the people that all these accusations against him were nothing more than “demolition jobs.” But as Abraham Lincoln once said: “You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time,” Binay is desperately trying — by any means — to shore up his sagging ratings, which had dipped 10% in the last few months.

Indeed, Trillanes hit the nail right on the head when he questioned Binay’s character and trustworthiness. However, I’m sure he’s aware that it’s a dangerous road to take in political campaigns because the outcome could go either way – help or destroy the candidate. But Binay knows it, too, and that’s why he’s trying very hard to gain the people’s sympathy.

Stop Nognog in 2016?

A Philippine Inquirer reader, Mario “Yao” Boco from Salcedo, Eastern Samar, wrote a commentary titled “Binay’s only saving grace,” which said: “Ramon Tulfo’s column titled ‘Oplan Nognog just an invention’ (Metro, 10/23/14) confirmed my suspicion that ‘Oplan stop Nognog 2016’ was an idea hatched by Vice President Jejomar Binay’s PR men and was intended to elicit for Binay sympathy or compassion from the “politically vacuous masses,” and consequently gain votes for him as a candidate in the 2016 presidential election.

“When I first read and heard of ‘Oplan stop Nognog 2016,’ I immediately sensed that the word ‘Nognog,’ a funny, charcoal-black comics character that stirs up mixed feelings of ridicule and pity, could be a mere ‘gimmick’ to generate sympathy for Binay, he being dark-skinned. In fact, one of the factors that made the ‘Binays ruled Makati one after the other is because they go to great lengths to emphasize their looks.’

“Little did Binay’s PR men know that by using the same kind of gimmick, they revealed themselves to have run out of ideas to defend and save the Vice President from the avalanche of corruption charges now swamping him. No amount of denials, allusions to political persecution, demolition job, or whatever, will extricate him from the political maelstrom he is in now. Only his presence in the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee hearing, to answer point by point the corruption charges hurled against him, will be his ‘saving grace.’ ”

Serendipity or conspiracy

Beso-beso

Binay might have thought what his “saving grace” is going to be? And guess whom did he run into? Grace Poe!

Binay met Grace at a meeting of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) in Tagaytay City last November 13. Grace was a guest of KBP; Binay was an uninvited guest, a “gatecrasher.” Binay claimed that he dropped by the KBP event to formally apologize for backing out of the debate with Trillanes, which the KBP was supposed to organize. However, it’s debatable whether the Binay-Poe meeting was serendipity or a well-orchestrated “chance” encounter – or conspiracy — between Binay and an unsuspecting Grace. As it turned out it was anything but coincidence. Binay later told the media that it was an “impromptu visit.”

Binay-Poe tandem in 2016?

And from that “impromptu visit,” a rare photo worth a thousand words was taken of Grace giving Binay a priceless beso-beso. And no sooner had the KBP event ended than rumors started to swirl around of a potential Binay-Poe tandem in 2016. When asked about the “coincidence,” Binay tried to downplay it; however, he admitted that he was open to teaming up with Grace in 2016. Indeed, if Grace agreed to join Binay, it would be a powerful team. Recent surveys show that Binay and Poe are the top picks for president and vice president, respectively.

Although Grace had made it clear that she was not running for president in 2016, the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) and the Liberal Party are wooing her to be the running mate of their respective standard bearers.

Grace Poe and Trillanes (right)

But many believe that if there was one person who could beat Binay, it’s Grace. And who would be a better running mate of Grace Poe than Sonny Trillanes? Working in tandem, they could give Jojo Binay a run for his money… or should I say, “the people’s money?”

If Poe would agree to team up with Binay, that would be her waterloo. The end of her political career. Why would she want to be team up with not only corrupt politician but the most corrupt uncomparable even with Marcos. Voters are not dumb enough to vote for Poe if she is going to team up with Binay!

I believe Grace Poe will be the saving grace for all of us. With all the political scandals in the government, Grace will be the light to the Filipino people towards a clean government responsive to the needs of “masa.”

Let us face it…before these “wealth issue of Binay”..we were all harping and shouting good things about “the Lawyer activist anti-marcos – Binay the good lawyer of Aquinos”… Now we are seeing differently because of media and senators are doing.. ?? We all know that these are all just passing the time because marami pa rin gutom, mahirap at nawawalan ng “job oopportunities” sa atin Bansa. Look at our government.. they are spending all the donations of the hundreds donors and not helping our people….the hacienderos once told me that these poverty makes the politicians become better. The votes they get out of the money they get from ill-gotten wealth is how they win elections. Its the counting that counts not the voting…so they give a lot of money to Comelec, computer guys and counters of votes so they win the election and all the people in Congress who also counts the votes. Our Solutions is to really look into the eyes of these so called leaders .. and find out their real vision in life… “GMA” was previously noted for her good character until she become the President who is now more corrupt than President Marcos… hopefully Trillanes and Poe will be better unless they become like GMA in the end… But at least they are better than .. Erap and Binay.. Let us continue to look into their eyes and find out… let us not shout.. let us listen and whisper the right words..to our mamamayans…people power… God Bless us all in 2016..

I agree with you. It’s not Binay’s money; it’s the Filipino people’s money. Can you imagine how much more money he will steal from the Filipino people if he’s elected president? And, one of the most outrageous of all his transgressions is his ownership of the air-conditioned pig pen located in the 350 hectares estate that really belongs to the Filipino people. Heck, the majority of the Filipinos don’t even have an air-conditioning unit in their homes. I bet even the residents of Alabang Hills and Forbes Park don’t even enjoy the luxurious lifestyle of those pigs. Well, we don’t really have to be surprised at all, do we? Binay is not only a crook; he is also a pig like the rest of those Filipino lawmakers and other political leaders.

Meanwhile the Filipino people who continue to suffer, keep on electing those crooks who are not fit to hold public office.

Binay will be Busted again!
Is anyone going to believe that Poe will be the saving grace for Jejomar? Are we that short in memory?
In the 2013 election, Binay was desperado in wooing Grace Poe, Chiz Escudro, and Koko Pimentel to join the UNA senatorial slate.
But even at that time, these three knew already what was wrong (rotten!) with Binay. So Jojo came out zilch out of 3.
[Alas UNA settled with the likes of Dick Gordon, Ernie Maceda, Gwendolyn Garcia (later back out), Mitos Magsaysay, Joey de Venecia (backed out also)]
The three knew even earlier the shenanigans of Jejomar, but only acted with ‘political correctness’ to turn down Jejomar politely to avoid getting bad marks from Jejomar’s fanatics who follow his command blindly.
Since then, Koko has decided that, ‘enough of this moro-moro’, and volunteered to chair the Blue Ribbon sub-committee – to impale the blood-sucking Count of Makati and his ilk, once and for all.
For Grace and Chiz, for how long can the make this ‘pretend-to-be-my-friend’?
Until the Senate Impeachment Court is convened after the Senate hearings and the NBI/OMBUDSMAN investigations are completed, i.e by April 2015, if we go by Sen. Trillanes’ timetable.

It’s the People’s Money that VP Binay’s used through his skills in the tactics of” Mastery of Deception and Lies “.The Dummies,the money bagmen and his loyal political party cohorts and his greedy family to enjoy luxury life style under the disguise of the hypocricy platform of “Maki Masa at Makiharap political patronage style is well orchestrated by HIM to realize his goal of IMMUNITY to continue his lust for MONEY AND power. If ever the majority of the Filipino electorates are convince to make him the next president..the PHL will repeat another recycled corrupt government.

Binay must not ascend to the Presidency of the Philippines. Still a Vice President, yet his alleged loot and ill-gotten wealth already compare in scale and magnitude with former corrupt former Presidents.

The Oakwood military rebellion will turn-out soon as an annually celebrated event by Filipinos. That was the day when Antonio Trillanes was catapulted to the national limelight and to the greater Filipino consciousness. And that was an event he genuinely displayed those attributes now severely lacking in Filipino leaders—of selfless patriotism.
Let us remember well he led a military uprising against then a corrupt military establishment and a very powerful government, and this to the detriment of own life, of profession and family. HIs election as a Philippine Senator and future ascent to the Presidency will become his triumphs beyond his wildest dreams that have generated out of the Oakwood Mutiny.

Indeed Trillanes’ character and idealistic credentials (to become the hope-and-dream Leader of the Filipino people) far outweigh Binay’s. May be even more—Trillanes is the absolute antithesis to Binay, who must not become successor to PNoy.

It is not wrong to endorse one’s favorite political team candidates. I even mentioned them as presidentiables.

However, the PHL political scenario is very much different this time compared in the past. The rampant violation of Constitution’s TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY feature triggered CORRUPTION and MORAL DECAY at its APEX.

Many of these presidentiable candidates or for the vice-presidency are still accountable to the people in their participation in the illegal PDAF and DAP by the millions and millions from the time they entered politics up to the present. This is in addition to millions of unliquidated CASH ADVANCES uncovered by the COA recently.

None of them that I know volunteered to submit an audited report how they disbursed the funds in detail certified acceptable and fair by the COA even if not very accurate to the last cents.

How come there were only 3 who were charged and sent to jail even without full accounting of their PDAF and DAP and the rest are exempted and free to launch their candidacy?

Better NO ELECTION or DISQUALIFY those who cannot fully account their PDAF and DAP & UNLIQUIDATED ADVANCES.

Tolerating them to launch their candidacy unconditionally is tantamount to agreeing that PDAF and DAP are legal and unliquidated CASH ADVANCES are OK.